Subject: Re: No. Shrike caught in the act
Date: Sep 29 14:10:14 1995
From: Russell Rogers - rrogers


On Fri, 29 Sep 1995, Phil Hotlen wrote:

> Thursday, Sep 28, I came upon a Northern Shrike (whitish lores) carrying
> a freshly killed sparrow with its feet from a weedy area to a low alder.
> All this took place along side the Lummi golf course, Whatcom County.
> When I approached, it moved from branch to branch with its prey held in
> its beak. It then flew to a more distant tree (dead branch) again
> holding the dead sparrow with its feet. I could not identify the prey
> species, but had the impression it was an immature Whte-crowned Sparrow.
>
> According to seasonal bar graphs in 3 different books on local birds,
> this was an early date for Northern Shrikes.

Hey Phil and tweeters,

Actually, there was one reported from Seattle on Sept. 22

>From the hotline:

In the Seattle area, the first NORTHERN SHRIKE of the season was a
juvenile reported from Becon Hill, on September 22nd.

>From the records that I have at hand, which are far from complete, the
earliest dates I are from last year in Eastern WA,

1 at Richland, BE, on 9/13/94 and 1 there on 9/16/94

Russell Rogers
4510 Glenn Way SW
Seattle, Washington 98116
(206) 935-6280
rrogers at halcyon.com